2007, 50 x 32″ (126 x 83cm)

There are 3 tapestries in this series based on the image of a dead seagull, The Patriot, The Shaman, and The Herald. I literally stumbled over the desiccated body of a seagull with feathers intact while walking to my studio one morning. To me there was such pathos in the creature and I took it home to photograph. I have tried to honour the spirit of the bird in these tapestries, its pride and its dignity. It looks to a future in the next world with equanimity. In this work, the dead seagull becomes a symbol of our humanity in peril, a celebration of life itself and a warning of future dangers.